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Texas School District Doesnât See âObama Flagâ in Classroom as Political

A controversial American flag bearing the image of President Barack
Obama was quietly removed from a Texas classroom and dismissed by the
school district as bad flag etiquette with no political undertones.

Diane Boyett, communications director for the Victoria Independent
School District in southeast Texas, estimated the flag was up for about a
week at Stroman Middle School before the principal became aware of it
and took it down Thursday.

âIt was removed as soon as the principal got the first email about
it, she went to the classroom, she looked and she removed it,â Boyett
told TheBlaze Friday afternoon.

She said the flag was displayed in a disciplinary classroom reserved
for in-school suspensions and used by âvery few students.â She said she
didnât know how many students saw it, but estimated the number would be
very low given the recent start of the school year.

Boyett said the school district received six emails in total
complaining about the flag, most of which seemed to be copied in whole
or in part from the same form letter and didnât have valid email
addresses to respond to.

U.S. flag code states the flag must never bear âany mark, insignia,
letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.â

âThe teacher was thinking it was a commemorative piece for the
inauguration for the president,â Boyett said. â[She meant] absolutely
meant no disrespect.â

Asked whether displaying such an image of the president was inappropriate at a public school, Boyett said no.

âI donât believe that having a picture of the president of the United
States is political,â she said, just as putting up images of George
Washington or John F. Kennedy would not be political.

Boyett said Stroman Middle School plans to use the incident to teach students about proper flag etiquette.

âWeâre going to take this as a teaching tool and the students at the
school on Monday will be receiving a lesson on flag code, flag respect
and what the flag actually means,â she said. âWe try to turn everything
into a teaching opportunity.â

How is putting up a picture of the president political? When I was in school there was always a picture of the president in the school, each one no matter his party affiliation. My parents were democrats and they were never bothered by the portraits of Reagan.

A picture of the president in a frame on the wall and a picture of the president ON the flag are two completely different things.

Did you look at the picture?

Quoting CDMelty:

How is putting up a picture of the president political? When I was in school there was always a picture of the president in the school, each one no matter his party affiliation. My parents were democrats and they were never bothered by the portraits of Reagan.

Yes. I saw an American flag, with a portrait of the American president on it, with his inauguration date on it. You're offended that the background for the portrait is a flag?

Quoting DSamuels:

A picture of the president in a frame on the wall and a picture of the president ON the flag are two completely different things.

Did you look at the picture?

Quoting CDMelty:

How is putting up a picture of the president political? When I was in school there was always a picture of the president in the school, each one no matter his party affiliation. My parents were democrats and they were never bothered by the portraits of Reagan.

Yes, I am. And I would be no matter what president it was. It's a flag, not a background. It's also against the U.S. flag code, which has been posted.

Quoting CDMelty:

Yes. I saw an American flag, with a portrait of the American president on it, with his inauguration date on it. You're offended that the background for the portrait is a flag?

Quoting DSamuels:

A picture of the president in a frame on the wall and a picture of the president ON the flag are two completely different things.

Did you look at the picture?

Quoting CDMelty:

How is putting up a picture of the president political? When I was in school there was always a picture of the president in the school, each one no matter his party affiliation. My parents were democrats and they were never bothered by the portraits of Reagan.

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